Splicing wires for LED strips

[televascular]

I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to electronics.

I would like to wire my new front bumper LED strips so that they come on INSTEAD of the parking lights. Is this as simple as cutting the parking light wire and connecting it to the LED wires? The LED strips are made for automotive (12v) applications and have built-in resistors, and I plan to twist the two wire ends together and seal it with heat-shrink tubes.

Am I alright? Or headed for disaster?

 

[Jimmy9190]

Provided the LED's are 12 volt and I would guess at least 10 amps current rated it should work by connecting to the parking light + wires. Be sure the blinkers work correctly if you install the LED's. LED's have internal diodes and/or resistors that could cause havoc with the flasher and blinker circuits in your car.

I wonder why you would want to do this though. I would also wonder what your local Police, Sherriff Deputies and State Troopers would think of it. If this were my car I would ask the Police Dept. about it first. It could be illegal due to Federal, State and even city or county regulations on vehicle safety and lighting. Not to mention the insurance and legal problems it could cause if you were to be involved in an accident.

 

[televascular]

The only reason I perceived of this idea was because, simply put, I thought it looked cool on the newer Audis. For a young twenty-something like myself, the potential for legal disaster remains a precipitous, far-away concept.

So, Mr. Civic Duty, since you've jogged my mind into remembering that my parking lights double as my blinkers, you've successfully thwarted my plans.

I've decided to go the safer, more complicated route of buying the factory foglight kit and substituting the LEDs. However, now I must pursue an electrical engineering degree so I can decipher the instructional PDF.

Perhaps I should find a new interest, no?

 

[eljefino]

Your premise is correct, it is as simple as finding the two wires that run the parking lights. The turn signal filament will be a 3rd wire. Autozone.com sometimes has wiring schematics for your car in the repairs section.

As they don't blink it doesn't matter what they use for current. LEDs generally use less current than incandescent so the wiring can handle it no problem!

As long as the color is amber or white the LEDs will met US DOT lighting requirements. States can be more lenient but not stricter. Oddly, it can be illegal to drive with just parking lights on, no headlights, despite it being a legitimate position on your switch... regardless of whether you're using factory or aftermarket lights.

 

[Drew2000]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
....
As long as the color is amber or white the LEDs will met US DOT lighting requirements. States can be more lenient but not stricter.....


But the lights that meet DOT/SAE standards as far as optics, brightness etc. must have the DOT/SAE approval molded into the plastic lens.

 

[Dupree]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
Provided the LED's are 12 volt and I would guess at least 10 amps current rated it should work by connecting to the parking light + wires. Be sure the blinkers work correctly if you install the LED's. LED's have internal diodes and/or resistors that could cause havoc with the flasher and blinker circuits in your car.

I wonder why you would want to do this though. I would also wonder what your local Police, Sherriff Deputies and State Troopers would think of it. If this were my car I would ask the Police Dept. about it first. It could be illegal due to Federal, State and even city or county regulations on vehicle safety and lighting. Not to mention the insurance and legal problems it could cause if you were to be involved in an accident.


that is what an led is , a diode....Light emitting diode, so rather than having them in the circuit they are the main circuit, you'll want to check and make sure they have a resistor as too much voltage will burn them out, as to making the signal act funny yes they can do this or even set of vic (vehicle information center). This is because of the low current draw the flasher module thinks it is burned out, but not all the time it varies by vehicle.